You’re assuming that I have any desire to comment on Cult of the Amateur…

Actually, thanks. I’ll take you up on the offer. I need to start reading books again. No rush…

]]>By: Elihttp://walt.lishost.org/2007/07/crying-foul/comment-page-1/#comment-28886
Thu, 05 Jul 2007 17:41:29 +0000http://walt.lishost.org/?p=580#comment-28886I just bought “Cult of the Amateur” and I’m willing to loan you my copy when I’m done …
]]>By: Kathleen de la Pena McCookhttp://walt.lishost.org/2007/07/crying-foul/comment-page-1/#comment-28879
Thu, 05 Jul 2007 00:34:07 +0000http://walt.lishost.org/?p=580#comment-28879You are always miles ahead, Walt.
Have you seen the interesting things JL is doing at his website?
The Promiscuous Materials Projecthttp://www.jonathanlethem.com/promiscuous_materials.html
and then there is BRIAN ENO & DAVID BYRNE–
â€˜My Life In The Bush Of Ghostsâ€™http://bushofghosts.wmg.com/press_kit.php
]]>By: walthttp://walt.lishost.org/2007/07/crying-foul/comment-page-1/#comment-28877
Wed, 04 Jul 2007 18:15:35 +0000http://walt.lishost.org/?p=580#comment-28877Well stated–although for some blogs the lines aren’t that clear.

In any case, commenting on the substance of a multithousand-word essay when you’ve only read a fifteen-word blurb for that essay strikes me as outrageous. I have refrained from commenting on Everything is Miscellaneous or The Cult of the Amateur for a simple reason: I haven’t read them, although I’ve certainly read a lot more than 15 words about them.

Blog posts run, on average, about 100 words. Succinct, while not usually admitting of extended treatment of an issue. Essays can be anywhere from 1000 words or so and above.

Clearly, Walt at Random features blog posts, and Cites and Insights features essays (mostly). And while it is incumbent on him to read everything before commenting, what does he expect from a publication which explicitly offers itself in a format for extended and thoughtful reading (either on paper or “e-book”)?